An increasing number of people are demanding more convenience to access various types of consumer services, including banking, bill paying, shopping, travel and others. Catering to the demand for added convenience in banking services are ATMs, direct deposit, and banking by telephone and mail. Personal computers have not been accepted as a convenient provider means for these services. Only a small percentage of the public have personal computers with modems, and even fewer have the capability to access any network platform offering banking services.
Marketing research has indicated a consumer demand for convenience-driven services delivered via a screen-based interactive telecommunications device or terminal, such as the telephone/modem or terminal device announced by AT&T and identified by the trade designation AT&T Smart Phone™.
There is a need for a user interface for such an interactive telecommunications terminal that will efficiently enable users to have access to many types of services from their homes or offices. The present invention provides such a user interface, which is supported by a service platform network, for communicating with a service provider, thus enabling users to have access to a large variety of services from a single location. Through the present invention, users can perform a multitude of transactions electronically via the terminal, such as banking, purchasing merchandise, making travel arrangements and paying bills, from the convenience of home or office.